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Papeles del Psicólogo ISSN: 0214-7823 ISSN: 1886-1415 [email protected] Consejo General de Colegios Oficiales de Psicólogos España Cervera Pérez, Isabel María; López-Soler, Concepción; Alcántara-López, Mavi; Castro Sáez, Maravillas; Fernández-Fernández, Visitación; Martínez Pérez, Antonia CONSEQUENCES OF CHRONIC INTRA-FAMILY ABUSE IN CHILDHOOD: DEVELOPMENTAL TRAUMA Papeles del Psicólogo, vol. 41, no. 3, 2020, September-, pp. 219-227 Consejo General de Colegios Oficiales de Psicólogos España DOI: https://doi.org/10.23923/pap.psicol2020.2934 Available in: https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=77865632009 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System Redalyc More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America and the Caribbean, Spain and Journal's webpage in redalyc.org Portugal Project academic non-profit, developed under the open access initiative Papeles del Psicólogo / Psychologist Papers, 2020 Vol. 41(3), pp. 219-227 Articles https://doi.org/10.23923/pap.psicol2020.2934 http://www.papelesdelpsicologo.es http://www.psychologistpapers.com CONSEQUENCES OF CHRONIC INTRA-FAMILY ABUSE IN CHILDHOOD: DEVELOPMENTAL TRAUMA Isabel María Cervera Pérez1, Concepción López-Soler2, Mavi Alcántara-López2, Maravillas Castro Sáez2, Visitación Fernández-Fernández2 and Antonia Martínez Pérez2 1Unidad de Salud Mental Comunitaria Huércal-Overa. 2Universidad de Murcia Los traumas tempranos y repetidos en el contexto de las relaciones de apego impactan de una manera dramática en el desarrollo de los niños/as, generando una diversidad de manifestaciones psicopatológicas complejas, que se incluyen en la última versión de la Clasificación Internacional de Enfermedades (CIE-11) como un diagnóstico nuevo denominado Trastorno por Estrés Postraumático Complejo (TEPT-C). Los objetivos del presente trabajo fueron, por un lado, ofrecer una revisión de la sintomatología postraumática que se desarrolla por la exposición a estos eventos traumáticos, y, por otro, recapitular la evidencia empírica existente del TEPT-C o Trastorno Traumático del Desarrollo (TTD). Los resultados de los estudios revisados confirman la presencia de síntomas extensos y heterogéneos, así como graves alteraciones en la autorregulación (afectiva, cognitiva y conductual), que se ajustan a un TEPT Complejo o TTD, por lo que los datos existentes apoyarían la validez de dichos diagnósticos. Palabras clave: Trauma complejo, Trastorno Traumático del Desarrollo, Maltrato. Repeated and early attachment trauma has a huge impact on children’s development, producing a wide range of psychopathology, which is included as a new diagnosis called complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) in the 11th revision to the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). The aim of this study is to provide a review of the posttraumatic symptomatology caused by exposure to complex traumatic events and to synthesize the existing empirical evidence on CPTSD and developmental trauma disorder (DTD). The results of the reviewed studies confirm the presence of extensive and heterogeneous symptoms, as well as serious affective, cognitive, and behavioral self- regulation alterations, which correspond to complex PTSD or DTD. Therefore, the current data support the validity of these diagnostic proposals. Key words: Complex trauma, Developmental trauma disorder, Abuse. he concept of trauma refers to the consequences of during childhood act as habitual stressors, and generate exposure to personal experiences that pose a threat to lasting dysfunctions in the main neuroregulatory systems, such T our survival or well-being. Reactions to adverse life as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and significant situations are very diverse and varied. Allen, Fonagy, and physiopathological consequences (Boeckel, Viola, Daruy- Bateman (2008), proposed a particularly relevant Filho, Martínez, & Grassi-Oliveira, 2017), as well as classification for organizing potentially traumatic events alterations in the development of fundamental brain structures according to the nature and interpersonal involvement of the (Rooij et al., 2020; Teicher & Samson, 2016). This is related stressor. They differentiate between impersonal stressors (e.g., to the presence of deficits in cognitive functioning and natural disasters); interpersonal stressors, when the stressor difficulties in affective and behavioral self-regulation, which comes from the deliberately intentional or reckless behavior of implies a greater risk for developing academic problems and another human being (e.g., accidents, community violence, or multiple psychopathologies (Karam et al., 2014; Perkins & war); and stressors that appear in the context of attachment Graham-Bermann, 2012). relationships (attachment trauma). That is, all situations of In this regard, Cook et al. (2005) noted that such traumas violence and neglect to which a child is exposed in the context are characterized by being chronic, interpersonal, early- of his or her basic primary care (e.g., physical and emotional onset, and affect all areas of functioning. For decades, there abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment, or direct has been evidence of the inadequacy of the PTSD diagnosis witnessing of violence between parents). to explain the wide range of symptoms resulting from these It has been confirmed that repeated experiences of abuse traumas (Herman, 1992). The percentage of children who develop PTSD, according to official criteria, after exposure to Received: 31 January 2020 - Accepted: 20 April 2020 complex traumas is low and most meet the criteria for many Correspondence: Concepción López-Soler. Universidad de Mur- other diagnoses such as separation anxiety disorder, cia. Facultad de Psicología. Departamento de Personalidad, oppositional defiant disorder, ADHD, or depression Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológicos. Campus de Espinardo. (Humpherys et al, 2020; Klasen, Gehrke, Metzner, 30100 Murcia. España. E-mail: [email protected] Blotevogel, & Okello, 2013; Scheeringa & Zeanah, 2008), 219 Articles CHRONIC INTRA-FAMILY ABUSE various subclinical symptoms or emotional and behavioral PTSD, in addition to serious and persistent problems in the disturbances, which are very frequent in minors in care with regulation of affect; self-beliefs of disability and worthlessness, mental health problems (González-García et al., 2017; feelings of shame, guilt or failure related to the traumatic Martín, González-García, Fernández del Valle, & Bravo, event; as well as difficulties in maintaining relationships and 2020 . feeling close to others. The concept of complex post-traumatic stress disorder Since the mid-90s, studies on the consequences of abuse in (CPTSD), was originally proposed by Herman (1992), with the the family environment have multiplied in the child and aim of providing an alternative diagnosis for survivors of adolescent population, with the diagnosis of CPTSD being repeated and prolonged traumatic exposure, whose most considered as a diagnostic option almost a decade later. severe symptoms were different from those listed in the Abuse is associated with symptoms of re-experiencing, diagnoses for PTSD in the DSM. CPTSD describes, more avoidance, and hyperactivation (PTSD) in minors, however, it completely and appropriately, the psychopathology resulting does not seem that the diagnostic criteria are appropriate for from exposure to complex trauma in adults, and includes a set children either, as few meet all the criteria, and the prevalence of symptoms that reflect serious disturbances in affective, increases when alternative criteria are used (Fernandez, cognitive, and behavioral self-regulation in minors (Courtois, 2014; Martinez, 2015; Scheeringa et al., 2003). 2004). These are expressed in alterations in six domains of Van der Kolk et al. (2005, 2009) postulated developmental functioning: impulse and affect regulation, attention and trauma disorder (DTD), for complex trauma in childhood. DTD awareness, self-perception, relationships with others, includes multiple symptoms in different areas (attachment, somatization, and systems of meaning (Van der Kolk, 2005; biology, affect regulation and self-regulation, awareness, Van der Kolk, Roth, Pelcovitz, Sunday, & Spinazzola, 2005), behavior control, cognition, and self-concept), which often This new construct was not recognized in the DSM-IV (APA, result from repeated exposure to interpersonal trauma in 1994), nor in its Revised Text (APA, 2000), as a disorder childhood (Cook et al., 2005), (Table 1). (Insert Table 1) other than PTSD, but as “disorder of extreme stress not A central element in the impact of abuse in the first years of life otherwise specified” (DESNOS). Although it gained empirical is based on the alterations in the attachment system between support (Cloitre, Garvert, Brewin, Bryant, & Maercker, 2013; caregiver and child. As indicated by Galán (2020), protection Van der Kolk et al., 2005, Karatzias et al, 2018), it was not and care against external and internal dangers, and for included in the latest version of the DSM (APA, 2013). communication and interpersonal relationships, is decisive. Recently, the ICD-11 (WHO, 2018) has confirmed it as a Studies on CPTSD in minors in care indicate mental health diagnosis, specifying that it must meet the requirements for problems in all the evaluated domains and symptoms of post- TABLE 1 DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA DEVELOPMENTAL TRAUMATIC DISORDER A. Exposure. Has experienced or witnessed multiple or prolonged adverse events